diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-schema-version-skew.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-schema-version-skew.ts
index 77a2293ea89..a2767e1e5a7 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-schema-version-skew.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-schema-version-skew.ts
@@ -22,9 +22,7 @@ const POST_V6_COLUMNS = [
   ['legacy_adoptions', 'source_run_id'],
   ['legacy_compatibility_principals', 'id'],
   ['legacy_operation_receipts', 'principal_id'],
-  ['legacy_mail_receipts', 'principal_id'],
-  ['worker_terminal_resources', 'recovery_attempt_count'],
-  ['worker_terminal_resources', 'last_recovery_at']
+  ['legacy_mail_receipts', 'principal_id']
 ] as const
 
 const VERSIONED_POST_V6_COLUMNS = [
@@ -36,6 +34,9 @@ const VERSIONED_POST_V6_COLUMNS = [
   { version: 31, table: 'dispatch_contexts', column: 'host_scope' },
   { version: 31, table: 'worker_terminal_resources', column: 'endpoint_id' },
   { version: 31, table: 'worker_terminal_resources', column: 'endpoint_incarnation' },
+  // Why: unversioned, these made every shipped v30 database read as v6 and replay the whole chain.
+  { version: 32, table: 'worker_terminal_resources', column: 'recovery_attempt_count' },
+  { version: 32, table: 'worker_terminal_resources', column: 'last_recovery_at' },
   { version: 33, table: 'messages', column: 'pointer_enter_pending' },
   { version: 34, table: 'deliveries', column: 'mailbox_handle' },
   { version: 36, table: 'dispatch_contexts', column: 'consumer_generation' },
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-version-skew-migration.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-version-skew-migration.test.ts
index 923d45d701a..7a58e81920d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-version-skew-migration.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orchestration/orchestration-version-skew-migration.test.ts
@@ -231,6 +231,24 @@ describe('OrchestrationDb version-skew migration', () => {
     ).toBeDefined()
   })
 
+  // The two v32 recovery columns were listed as unversioned, so every shipped database below v32
+  // read as v6 and replayed the whole chain, re-running the v23 resource backfill over live rows.
+  it('starts a genuine pre-v32 database at its own version, not the v6 floor', () => {
+    tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-db-version-skew-v31-'))
+    const dbPath = join(tempDir, 'orchestration.db')
+    db = new OrchestrationDb(dbPath)
+    db.close()
+    db = undefined
+
+    const raw = new Database(dbPath)
+    raw.exec(
+      'ALTER TABLE worker_terminal_resources DROP COLUMN recovery_attempt_count; ALTER TABLE worker_terminal_resources DROP COLUMN last_recovery_at;'
+    )
+    raw.pragma('user_version = 31')
+    expect(resolveOrchestrationMigrationStartVersion(raw, 31, SCHEMA_VERSION)).toBe(31)
+    raw.close()
+  })
+
   it('creates fresh delivery mailboxes with a non-null schema invariant', () => {
     db = new OrchestrationDb(':memory:')
 
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-methods.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-methods.ts
index f972954d5a4..a12428253c3 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-methods.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-methods.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_CHECK_METHODS: RpcMethod[] = [
         })
       }
       const consumingCheck = params.peek !== true && params.all !== true && params.unread !== false
+      // Why: an empty consuming check is the worker contract's "checkpoint, not a failure", so a
+      // caller whose Attempt moved on has to be told rather than handed an empty direct mailbox.
+      // This outranks the pane guard: a paneless loser cannot run-use anyway, it has to stop.
+      const settledDispatch = consumingCheck ? db.getLatestDispatchForTerminal(handle) : undefined
+      if (settledDispatch && isSupersededDispatch(settledDispatch)) {
+        throw dispatchFenced()
+      }
       // Why: a consuming check on a handle with no live pane and no Dispatch can never see
       // Run mail, so an empty inbox would read as "nothing yet" instead of a stale caller.
       if (!paneKey && consumingCheck) {
@@ -93,12 +100,6 @@ export const ORCHESTRATION_CHECK_METHODS: RpcMethod[] = [
           orchestrationSkillRecoveryData()
         )
       }
-      // Why: an empty consuming check is the worker contract's "checkpoint, not a failure", so a
-      // caller whose Attempt moved on has to be told rather than handed an empty direct mailbox.
-      const settledDispatch = consumingCheck ? db.getLatestDispatchForTerminal(handle) : undefined
-      if (settledDispatch && isSupersededDispatch(settledDispatch)) {
-        throw dispatchFenced()
-      }
       return checkDirectMailbox({ params, runtime, db, handle, typeFilter, signal })
     }
   })
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-superseded-terminal.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-superseded-terminal.test.ts
index ecefcbb0a0e..65cc3192b1d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-superseded-terminal.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/messaging/check-superseded-terminal.test.ts
@@ -92,15 +92,16 @@ describe('orchestration.check from a terminal whose Attempt was superseded', ()
     await expect(check('term_old', PANE_OLD)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'consumer_fenced' })
   })
 
-  // A terminal that lost its pane binding needs the rebind recovery, not the stop instruction.
-  it('reports a paneless caller as stable_pane_required before the settled-Attempt fence', async () => {
-    ;({ db, ctx } = h.setup())
-    const task = db.createTask({ spec: 'work that failed on a pane that is gone' })
-    const dispatch = createRootDispatch(db, task.id, 'term_old', PANE_OLD)
-    db.failDispatch(dispatch.id, 'worker terminal closed')
+  // A superseded worker whose pane is gone cannot run-use either; the stop signal outranks the
+  // rebind advice, and a caller with no settled Attempt still gets the rebind advice.
+  it('fences a paneless caller whose Attempt was superseded, and only that caller', async () => {
+    retriedOntoAnotherTerminal()
 
     await expect(
       h.call('orchestration.check', { terminal: 'term_old' }, ctx)
+    ).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'consumer_fenced' })
+    await expect(
+      h.call('orchestration.check', { terminal: 'term_never_dispatched' }, ctx)
     ).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 'stable_pane_required' })
   })